Spring Has Sprung

I’m so excited that spring is just beginning and I’m sure everyone else is too. Spring is such a lovely season, the world gets lighter and the days get longer. It’s a positive season, things that happen are good. I like to think of spring as the light at the end of a long, dark, gloomy tunnel. The tunnel is winter. When we emerge into the sunshine it is a time to rejoice. Spring is cheerful, it makes you want to whistle a little tune!!

Spring has arrived in Granny’s garden!!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Spring has sprung,
it has begun.

The birds they sweetly sing a tune,
flowers burst their buds,
in all colours white, blue or maroon.

The golden trumpets play,
criers announce, tis such a happy day.
The bulbs they have begun to sprout,
soon the animals will be out,
of hibernation.

A colourful array,
begins on the first merry day,
the children laugh and say,
“we’re happy at our play”.

The sun shines down,
in the whole of the land,
there’s not one single frown.

So, with a gust of wind and a little April shower,
a big bunch of daffodils,
another beautiful flower,
animals having young,
Easter has only just begun,
spring has sprung.

The Sun and The Moon

my picture, I painted the whole paper black and then did the moon and light in white chalk.

Today I watched the solar eclipse live on television, we would have watched it outside, but it was really cloudy. It showed you live footage from the Faroe Islands. They were experiencing a total eclipse. It’s amazing, even on television. I learnt what a solar eclipse is, painted a picture of it and wrote a poem. Here it is:

THE SUN AND THE MOON,

A pale, silhouetted sun,
constantly she’s on the run.
The moon, a monster, dark and black,
he’ll gobble her up, if speed she does lack.

He creeps upon her, like a wolf stalking it’s prey,
gradually he gains on her, moment by moment, day by day.

It’s a beautiful sight,
the sun’s ever so bright
and the moon, that deathly dark,
but from out of the circle, comes a bright and fiery spark.

They call it a diamond ring,
all the birds cease to sing,
it’s so awe-inspiring,
no one even thinks of retiring, home.

Eventually the moon, he strikes,
he eats up what he likes,
sometimes he leaves a little crescent,
it can be seen in London, Brighton, Scotland or Cheshunt.

When the moon swallows the poor sun whole,
we’re plunged into darkness,
it touches people down in their very soul.

It’s a once in a lifetime chance,
to see the moon and the sun do their amazing dance.

 

my sister, Irys, is a natural artist. This is her masterpiece

This is my brother’s picture. He likes to use bright, bold colours.

Little Family Traditions

I was wondering if you have any little traditions unique to your family?

Mine is birthday porridge, every morning we have porridge for breakfast, but on birthdays and sometimes Christmas, we have porridge with golden syrup, chocolate and fruit. It’s delicious and it’s my favourite breakfast ever!! It beats a full English any day.

Back on my little boat

Today and yesterday I’ve been at our little boat, called Loon, down by the River Lee. Last summer we spent the season on her and had a wonderful experience, definitely the best in my life. Mum and Dad have been cleaning her and repairing her, while we’ve been fishing and kayaking. This poem is about kayaking and how good it feels to be back on the water. If I had to describe the time in one word it would be: MAGICAL.

BACK ON MY LITTLE BOAT

Time and time again the waves hit,
the bow of my little boat,
bobbing me up and down a bit.

The wind blows in my face
and the boat slightly tips,
a contented smile lingers on my lips.

A moorhen cries,
another replies,
their calls echo across the water.

A shining fish,
making ripples as it breaks the surface,
not one glinting disturbance does the sun miss.

It casts a path of yellow gold,
I watch, as a story in my mind begins to unfold,
then jotted down on dirty paper it is told.

I close my eyes,
the river sighs, as everything goes to bed,
it alone runs through the night,
it never rests its head.

I’m sad when my time on the water is up,
I feel like a pup,
who has ceased to play,
but I watch as the sun casts its last golden ray.

Boys

 

MY BROTHER

This a poem that I wrote for my brother, Evan, for his 9th birthday. It’s about boys and how they can get obsessed with taking things apart. Sometimes, when my brother or dad are building or taking something apart, they are so into it they can’t even do anything else properly or think about anything else. They call it work mode.   It’s also supposed to be funny and humorous.

Muddle & Meddle

Fix & Fiddle

 

BOYS

Boys will be boys, wherever they are,
they’ll sit with their dad, their father or their pa,
then they’ll muddle and meddle, fix and fiddle,
joggle and jiggle for hours,
connecting different powers.

Then just shout for some tea or some food,
which I think is just plain rude.
They’ll scheme, plot and plan,
about whatever nonsense,
on little bits they’ll spend their pence.

They’ll examine cogs,
in their old work togs.

They’ll closely inspect
and try to detect,
then make sure they’ve double checked,
they are all teched,
what’s next to dissect?

So can’t you see?
They won’t even stop to have a pee,
although maybe for some tea,
it’s plain to see:

Boys will be boys, wherever they are,
they’ll sit with their dad, their father or their pa,
then they’ll muddle and meddle, fix and fiddle,
joggle and jiggle for hours,
connecting different powers.

GIVE US A SMILE :)

Having fun at dinner tonight

What a Smile

 

fun fun fun

Orange Butterfly Cakes

For the last few days we’ve been staying with nanny and Geoff.  Yesterday we made blue berry muffins and orange butterfly cakes, I tried both, but the butterfly cakes were the best.  I thought I’d share the recipe, because they were so delicious.  Do try them, they won’t disappoint.  The sharp orange curd contrasts with the sweet icing and it makes the perfect match.  I’d just like to say thank you to both nanny and Geoff for having us.

 

ORANGE BUTTERFLY CAKES

INGREDIENTS

Makes 12

100g (4oz) butter

100g (4oz) caster sugar

2 eggs

100g (4oz) self raising flour

1 level tsp baking powder

grated zest 1 orange

3 tbsp orange curd

ICING

50g (2oz) softened butter

100g (4oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

 

METHOD

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 c / 160 c fan / gas 4.  Line a tin with 12 cupcake cases.

2. Measure all ingredients, except orange curd, into a large bowl and beat untill smooth.

3. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

4. When cooked and cool, cut a disc from the top of each cake leaving a little rim around the edge.  Cut the discs in half and set them aside. Fill the holes with orange curd.

5. For the icing, beat butter and icing sugar together until smooth.  Spoon or pipe a swirl of icing on top of the orange curd.  Then place the two cake halves on, to resemble butterfly wings.  Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.

 

mixing, you can do this with an electric mixer or by hand.

spoon mix into cases.

cooked and cooling

the finished product

LOVELY

TOP TIPS

1.  Don’t use muffin cases, they’re too big.

2.  Pipe the icing, it looks better and more tidy.

3.  Don’t cut too shallow a disc or to deep, you’ll have too much or too little curd.

My Granny And Me

Me & Granny

At the moment we are in Essex staying with my Great Granny, who has just had a hip replacement. We are cooking and cleaning for her, chatting with her and just hanging out. While we’re here we’ve been doing things differently than when we usually visit, normally granny does everything for us and spoils us. Now we are doing things to help her.

We have to be more helpful and do more jobs. We have to be considerate, which means knowing when to be a bit quieter and when to have a nice long chat. We’re being more thoughtful, we do things for granny, like little jobs, without being asked. All these things are good, it’s important that we don’t always think of ourselves. Being here with granny is a chance to show her how much she means to us all.

Hanging out with granny is really nice. I like to talk with her, she has lots of knowledge, experiences and memories to share with me. We have lots of fun times together playing games, listening to music, watching films and discussing books. We have similar tastes in all these things so we both enjoy them.

She is the best granny I could ever wish for and I want her to know that.